So, I sat down with the kids the day after school let out for the summer and proposed a different kind of schedule for our summer at home…a schedule that included daily projects that are more involved than the normal household chores. A shift not so much to instill a greater level of discipline and responsibility in the kids but more because I REALLY need their help!!! Of course, my grand plan was met with the requisite chorus of groans and “but Mom!” but everyone rose to the occasion and we accomplished quite a bit this week. It all started with a team effort to dig up a big stump and clear away a bunch of rocks in the front. The garbage collectors arrived to pick up our trash as the kids worked and one of them yelled out “You’re working as hard as we are! Summer should be all about playing” (Thanks Garbage Man!) to which Wilson replied, “Well, we’re trying to balance it out a bit this summer.” (Well put Wil!)
As the week progressed, we included Rudy in the projects as much as possible…he makes a great supervisor! Shamefully, the family car hadn’t been washed in I don’t know how many weeks so washing the Sienna inside and out became one of the projects…I gave the kids the bin of car wash supplies and let them have at it! It was amazing…I came back a while later and it was all done AND done well!
Rudy supervising the “chore” of the day!
This is fun but......all this work makes me tired!
Rudy continued his progress this week…for a little over a month, he has been rolling over from his tummy to his back and becoming quite the expert at it. He hasn’t, however, rolled from his back onto his tummy (not much motivation there, I guess) but he has been sleeping on his extreme side more and more. As he fell asleep earlier this week, he ended up making that final rotation onto his stomach and slept comfortably for 30 minutes until we transitioned him to his crib! Out of curiosity, Rolf checked his oxygen sats while he was asleep on his stomach and we were SHOCKED to see it register in the 90s!!! Something we’ve not seen before…’not quite sure what it means but we claimed it as a good sign!
Rudy's first "tummy nap"......coincides with the first time his O2 sats EVER registered in the 90s...the low heart rate is his sleeping heart rate.
The project I’m most excited is now crossed off the to do list is the reorganization of Max’s room to accommodate Rudy when he’s ready to move in. Max and I literally pulled EVERYTHING out of his room, purged a bunch of old toys, did a little painting, washed down all the walls, Rolf assembled the new bunk bed unit and we got everything moved back in on Friday(phew!). Of course, a major overhaul like this unearths all kinds of treasures that get rediscovered and provide hours of entertainment! Max’s Jack Sparrow hat was one of the treasures that ended up on Rudy but he didn’t seem to mind…
Cap'n JackNope, he can't quite pull off "pirate"!!
I treasured alot this week in the midst of the mundane acts of home management…especially watching the kids organize themselves and work together as a team, all the creative fun and Rudy’s smile as he watched and took it all in! Happy Weekend Everybody!
Sounds like a wonderful exercise for the children and a great help for you. Congratulations on the organizational and problem-solving skills that they are developing!
Team Geyling does it again- thanks for this great post, Trish. Very encouraging in just about every way possible. Here’s to many more successful team efforts – and lots of team fun in and around the projects.
Great idea for the kids to get even better at helping you out with stuff. Sounds like they had fun too! I am sure they are also proud to be doing so much more to help. Great progress Rudy, way to go! Keep it up. Prayers and hugs and kisses as always.
We can’t say enough about how proud we are of the Geyling kids to pitch in and help Mom and Dad. Your situation demands that the entire family must step up to the challenges you all have to conquer. Work makes having fun so much more special, kids, way to go! And Rudy, you are working hard, too, by learning to turn over and continuing to gain on your challenges. WE ARE SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU. Well done!
love washing the car, Nick helps Grandma(Grandma washes, he rises, so…you know waht that means, I also get rinsed) but it is some of Our Together Time, just keep enjoying it, Nicks Grandma
Your saying Rudy sats higher on his tummy gave me a big flashback…I remember observing this with Garrett too and asking the pc about it. There was a reason but for the life of me I can’t remember what it is. It is so good you are blogging this experience…at the time you don’t think you will forget a minute of it but surprisingly over time things back when Garrett was little and going through the surgeries have gotten fuzzy.
Phew – isn’t it great when the years of “teaching chores” pay off. Reap the benefits! Good job kiddos – we’ll save our car for when you come…. the house also needs painting…
why am i not surprised to see that Max is the one washing the top of the van. 🙂 and i love Rudy in the shot supervising it all. what is surprising to me is Rudy’s roll on to his tummy while sleeping and his oxygen sats being so high! fascinating! how you have the presence of mind to think of testing such a thing at that particular moment is amazing to me. way to go Rudy! way to go parents! way to go big kids! high fives all around! 🙂
I had a summer chore talk with Luci yesterday…she just graduated last
Wed., her school gets out late. Of course she was not all that happy, but
as she put it into practice it ws not so bad. Hope we can keep it up…
your kids are definitely getting their character built…more important than
anything!
Rudy's Beat 
Sounds like a wonderful exercise for the children and a great help for you. Congratulations on the organizational and problem-solving skills that they are developing!
Team Geyling does it again- thanks for this great post, Trish. Very encouraging in just about every way possible. Here’s to many more successful team efforts – and lots of team fun in and around the projects.
Rudy makes a sweet Jack Sparrow! What hard working kids!
Enjoyed your posting, as usual. Love those kids of yours.
Great idea for the kids to get even better at helping you out with stuff. Sounds like they had fun too! I am sure they are also proud to be doing so much more to help. Great progress Rudy, way to go! Keep it up. Prayers and hugs and kisses as always.
That’s a coincidence…I just had the summer chore talk with CC this morning…Luke gets to hammer nails with Dad.
Rudy makes a great Jack Sparrow….now for the golden tooth!
Glad you were able to get so much done this week and that Rudy was able to supervise….One day they’ll all say “Thanks mom…”
We can’t say enough about how proud we are of the Geyling kids to pitch in and help Mom and Dad. Your situation demands that the entire family must step up to the challenges you all have to conquer. Work makes having fun so much more special, kids, way to go! And Rudy, you are working hard, too, by learning to turn over and continuing to gain on your challenges. WE ARE SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU. Well done!
Happy Father’s Day, Rolf!
Love the picture of Rudy “supervising” and the kids washing the car! Very cute!!
Wow…so happy to hear Rudy is getting stronger and rolling around. That’s GREAT!
Much love to you all!!
Trish, you make EVERYTHING fun fun fun!!! Way to go team Geyling!
love washing the car, Nick helps Grandma(Grandma washes, he rises, so…you know waht that means, I also get rinsed) but it is some of Our Together Time, just keep enjoying it, Nicks Grandma
Hey, can the kids come over and wash my car for me and maybe do a little cleaning too? Good work everybody! Rudy makes an awfully cute supervisor.
Sounds like fun and a good lesson too!
Your saying Rudy sats higher on his tummy gave me a big flashback…I remember observing this with Garrett too and asking the pc about it. There was a reason but for the life of me I can’t remember what it is. It is so good you are blogging this experience…at the time you don’t think you will forget a minute of it but surprisingly over time things back when Garrett was little and going through the surgeries have gotten fuzzy.
Keep on having a great summer!
Kathy
Phew – isn’t it great when the years of “teaching chores” pay off. Reap the benefits! Good job kiddos – we’ll save our car for when you come…. the house also needs painting…
why am i not surprised to see that Max is the one washing the top of the van. 🙂 and i love Rudy in the shot supervising it all. what is surprising to me is Rudy’s roll on to his tummy while sleeping and his oxygen sats being so high! fascinating! how you have the presence of mind to think of testing such a thing at that particular moment is amazing to me. way to go Rudy! way to go parents! way to go big kids! high fives all around! 🙂
I had a summer chore talk with Luci yesterday…she just graduated last
Wed., her school gets out late. Of course she was not all that happy, but
as she put it into practice it ws not so bad. Hope we can keep it up…
your kids are definitely getting their character built…more important than
anything!